FREDERICK, Md. – Frederick County’s Division of Water and Sewer Utilities has notified customers of the White Rock Water System that three homes in the community recently found elevated levels of lead in their tap water. Of 23 samples collected in August and September, three exceeded the action level, indicating the problem is not widespread and does not impact every home. Those three affected households were immediately notified, and the remaining 95 households on the system have been offered free testing.
Lead can cause serious health problems. The County has been monitoring for lead in the White Rock System since 1993 and is currently testing every three years, as required by the Maryland Department of the Environment. Lead measurements reflect the highest level found in 90% of samples, which is called the 90th percentile. When testing at White Rock was last completed in 2017, the 90th percentile for lead was 2 parts per billion (ppb), which is well below the action level of 15 ppb. For the 2020 monitoring period, the 90th percentile for lead was 16 ppb.
The Division of Water and Sewer Utilities has been in close communication with the Maryland Department of Environment and the Frederick County Health Department and will continue to do so until the situation has been fully resolved. White Rock residents with questions can contact Kenneth Orndorff, Superintendent of Water Treatment and Distribution at 301-600-1825. The Frederick County Health Department Lead and Asthma Program staff can be reached at 301-600-3326 or by e-mail at leadasthma@frederickcountymd.gov.
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